THE CENSUS OF VICTORIA.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 76, 28 August 1874, Page 4

THE CENSUS OF VICTORIA.

The general report of the Government Statist, on the census of 187 L, has only just been issued from the Victorian Government printing office. Wc make the following extracts from the report as published iu the local papers : The most thickly peopled county in Victoria, according to the census returns, was Bourke (the metropolitan county), with 136 J persons and 25*8 inhabited dwelliugs to the square mile : the next was Talbot, including the boroughs of Amherst, Castlemainc, Chewton, Cluucs, Creswick, Oraigie, Carisbrook, Daylesford, Guildford, Maryborough, and part of Malmsbury, with 51-J persons and 122 houses to the square mile ; the third was Grenville, in which Ballarat City and the boroughs of Sebastopol, Smythcsdale, and Brown's and Sisarsdale are situated, with 41 persons and 8.8 dwellings to the square mile ; then Grant, containing GeelongTown, the greater portion of Ballarat East Borough, and the whole of the boroughs of Queenscliff, Steiglitz, Buninyong, .'Newton, and Chilwell, and South Bar won, with -10 persons and 7 8 houses to the square mile, etc. On the; other hand, in one of the counties, YVeeah, situated in the north-west portion of the old Wiramera district, there was neither dwelling nor inhabitant on the census night. Melbourne, both in 1801 and 1871, was the largest and most populous city iu Victoria. The city proper at the former period contained 36,808 inhabitants, and at the latter 54,993 ; but taking in the suburbs, which extend for a radius often miles, and embiace fifteen other towns or boroughs, together with some portions of country not yet included in any municipal district, although much of it has been largely built upon, the total population was 139,916 in 1861, and 206.780 in 1871. Some of these suburban municipalities were afc one time included within the limits of the city, others are adjacent to it, and all may be fairly considered as forming portion of the metropolis.

The second town in Victoria, according to population, is Ballarat. It consists of three municipalities, viz., Ballarat City,with 24,308; Ballarat East Borough, with 16,397 ; and Sebastopol, with 6496 inhabitants ; total, 47.201. The third \a Sandhurst, consisting of Sandhurst City, with 21,987; and Eaglehawk Borough, with 0590 inhabitants; total, 28,577. The fourth is Geelong, consisting of Geelong Town, with 15,026 ; Newtown and Chilwell Borough, with 4749 ; and South Barwon Borough, with I»*>B4 inhabitants ; total, 21,459. The fifth is Castlemaine, combined with Chewton, the former having 09)55; the latter having 2387 inhabitants ; total, 9322. The sixth is Olunes, with 6068 ; then Stawell, with 2156 ; then Daylesford, with 4696 inhabitants, &c. In forty cities, towns, and boroughs, which were in existence both in 1861 and 1871, the total number of inhabitants was 227,812 at the former period, and 327,810 at the latter ; the increase of population in ten years being thus about 100,000. But notwithstanding this increase over the whole number, in eight of these places the population had decreased between the two census periods, viz., Castlemaine, from 9083 to 0935 ; Chewton. from 3353 to 2387 ; Creswick, from 4714 to 3969 ; Geelong, from 10,613 to 15,020; Kilmore, from 1008 to 1555; Newtown and Chilwell, from 4901 to 4749 ; Portland, from 2804 to 2372; and Smythesdale, from 17t)4 to 1003.

The Australian born in 18(il numbered 157,911. The increase between that period and 1871 was 200,355. or at the rate of 127 percent. All other nationalities decreased in the same interval except the Irish and Welsh, the foi incr of whom increased by 13,308, or at the rate of 15 per cent, awl the latter by 559, or at the rate of 9 per cent The English decreased by 5299, or at the rate of 3 per cent ; the scotch by 1191, or at the rate of 7 ,per cent; persons born in other Biitish possessions by 478, or at the rate of 11 per cent ; the French or at the rate of 6 per cent ; the Germans by 1151, or at the rate of 11 per cent ; the natives of other European countries by 732, or at the rate of 10£ per cent; persons born in the United States by 131, or at the rate of 5 per cent; those born in China by 6875, or at the rate cf 28 per cent; and the natives of other countries by 91, or at the rate of 22 per cent. Reviewing the state of education at the socalled school age —viz., between five and fifteen years—the advancement during the past ten years is much more apparent than it is in regard to the whole population, or to any section of it which includes either the old or the very young, as will be seen by the following figures:—ln 1861 no more than 779 children at the school age in every 1000 living could read, only 480 could write, and as many as 221 were entirely uuiustructed. In 1871 no fewer than 846 children at the same age could read, as many as 640 could write, and only 154 were uninstructed.